


The Princess Who Loved the Moon

by galvelociraptor



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 19:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16393517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galvelociraptor/pseuds/galvelociraptor
Summary: “What are you doing with my daughter?” a male voice asked, angrily.Stiles looked up—and found himself face-to-face with one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen. Greenish-blueish-grey-ish eyes in a chiseled face, artfully tousled black hair and stubble-turning-into-beard, tight clothes that hinted at a body that went with the face, and reading glasses. Stiles was in love.





	The Princess Who Loved the Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyDrace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyDrace/gifts).



**Chicago, O’Hare Airport**

“And they lived happily ever after. The end.” Stiles closed The Princess Who Loved the Moon and looked up at his daughter. Evan wasn’t paying attention to the him, however; her eye had caught on the dark-skinned girl sitting nearby, carefully Not Paying Attention. Stiles elbowed his daughter, and when she looked up at him questioningly, he hissed “Introduce yourself!”

After a little more prodding, Evan hopped up and walked over to the other girl, and, in true Stilinski-fashion, said, “Hi my name is Evangeline Claudia Stilinski but everyone calls me Evan and I’m 7 years old and I’m in 2nd grade and my favorite color is Hawkeye-purple and” Stiles glared at her meaningfully—they had been working on her conversation skills “and I like your hair! Are you a werewolf too?” she asked, nosily. Stiles facepalmed. Clearly they would need to do more with the interpersonal thing.

The little girl, who looked a year or so younger than Evan, promptly burst into silent tears. Evan turned a dramatically aghast look at her dad, who had a similar look on his face. The little girl sniffed the air, carefully, then crawled up into Stiles’ lap and clung to him, barnacle-like. Evan, never one to turn down cuddles, burrowed into his other side.

Stiles soothed the girl with some nonsense words and gentle circular motions on her back, curious as to why she was waiting in an airport alone. His thoughts stretched to the Calm-n-Center magic bag stashed in his backpack, but wasn’t sure her guardian would approve. The girl abruptly stiffened, and Stiles wondered what she had heard. He was fairly certain that she was, indeed, a lycanthrope.

“What are you doing with my daughter?” a male voice asked, angrily.

Stiles looked up—and found himself face-to-face with one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen. Greenish-blueish-grey-ish eyes in a chiseled face, artfully tousled black hair and stubble-turning-into-beard, tight clothes that hinted at a body that went with the face, and reading glasses. Stiles was in love.

“Um,” he said articulately. At a glare from the man, Stiles successfully extricated his hand from under his daughter and held it out. “I’m Stiles, and I’m guessing that this is your munchkin?” he asked, gesturing at the dark-haired girl who still clung to him.

“Yes…” the man confirmed, looking more than a little confused.

“Well, my daughter asked her about her, um, heritage—“ here Stiles looked around, but no-one was paying them much attention, although the man looked even more glower-y—“you know, her furry heritage? And then she burst into tears. I’m sorry! I don’t generally have this effect on kids.”

“It’s true,” Evan said, staunchly supportive. “All of my friends like him! Even Sofie likes him, and she doesn’t like many old people, ‘cuz she’s a bit of a ‘late-boomer’, and the Doctors like to poke at her, because Aunt Erica is convinced she’s furry but hasn’t had a furry moon yet.”

“I can’t keep on calling you “Eyebrows” in my head,” Stiles said, apologetically. “And I confess I couldn’t get a name out of your kid before the um, crying started.”

The man sighed. “I’m Derek, and that’s Elizabeth.”

Stiles squinted up at Derek. He looked not only edible, but also vaguely familiar. Something about his coloring… Stiles carefully edged around the thought in his mind and then suddenly realized why he half-recognized the man in front of him.

“Derek? Derek HALE?”

“Yes?” Derek replied, uncertainly.

“Omigod, Laura talks about you all the time! She said something about you coming home to BH for good but I didn’t think she meant this quickly!”

“You know Laura?” Derek asked, sounding confused.

“Yeah, she’s my Alpha. Well, kinda? I’m not furry, see, but my daughter and my best friend is, and my best girl is Laura’s Mate, and well…I think I belong in the Pack anyway,” Stiles finished with a defiant shrug.

“I think I remember my sister mentioning a mage who was part of the pack,” Derek said, hesitantly, after sniffing the air, and Stiles abruptly remembered Laura mentioning that Stiles sometimes smelled of ozone [‘and burnt toast,’ Lydia had muttered] after he worked magic.

“That’s me! At least, I think that’s me. Unless she was talking about Lydia, but Lydia doesn’t really do magic, although she’s magical, if that makes sense. She’s a banshee, you see,” Stiles said, conspiratorily.

By this point, Elizabeth had cried herself to sleep, and Stiles was able to maneuver her onto her side while he wiggled out of her hold. He covered her with a convenient hoodie and stood up.

“Dude, I am so sorry about that. I didn’t mean to appropriate your kid, seriously, but I’m useless when they start crying. Unless it’s Evan, but she’s learned that one the hard way,” he continued, with a mock glare directed at her. She stuck out a tongue at him, but sat back down with Elizabeth, who was softly snuffling in her sleep.

~

Later, on the plane, Stiles was shocked to see the lengths to which the flight attendants would bend over backwards to help Derek, who was really playing up the “pity me, for I am a devastatingly hot single father” angle.

Stiles and Evan ended up sitting across the aisle from Derek and Elizabeth, who still hadn’t said a word.

“Daddy,” Evan said to Stiles.

“Yes, Princess Peach?” Stiles said, saccharine sweet. Evan jabbed him in the side. “This is serious." Evan paused. "Is she ok?”

Stiles looked over at the other small girl, thinking, then looked up into Derek’s worried eyes.

“She’s, uh, mute. The doctors aren’t sure if or when she’ll ever be able to speak again,” Derek said, sadly.

Evan sat still for a moment, clearly thinking hard about something, then clambered over her dad, and started clumsily signing to El, who lit up like a Christmas tree. The girls slowly started conversing, hands flashing, and the occasional quiet giggle was heard.

“Where did she learn ASL?” Derek asked Stiles, quietly.

“Well, you may have heard her mention that her favorite color is ‘Hawkeye purple’,” Stiles said.

“Yes…?” Derek replied.

“Well, Dude Hawkeye’s always been deaf in the comics, and when Evan learned what ‘deaf’ meant, she decided she wanted to learn ASL so she could communicate with him when she meets him. Well, them, but Hawkeye is a girl, and not deaf, but Dude Hawkeye is deaf,” Stiles attempted to explain. “Comics, y’all,” he finished, with jazz hands.

“…and you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” Stiles asked Derek, who looked like someone who had just seen the rocket science textbook assigned to him (and it was in Greek).

“Ok, well, you’ve heard of the Avengers, right?” Stiles started, settling into his favorite mode: sharing fandom love.

~

After landing in Northern California Airport, it only made sense to share a ride back into town.

The girls were still chattering away in Sign, pausing occasionally to consult the iPad they had “stolen” from Stiles for use of its ASL Dictionary.

Stiles looked over at Derek, who seemed deep in thought.

“Laura told me to tell you that if you don’t want to stay in the Pack House that’s fine, there are properties around BH you can live in. Also, since Evan and El seem to be getting along like a house on fire, I can offer you the spare bedroom at my Dad’s place. It would be perfectly safe,” Stiles said, with a look at Derek’s face, “seeing as how he’s the Sheriff and I still live there sometimes so it’s very warded. No-one’s getting in that place,” he finished proudly. “Well, no-one who isn’t allowed,” he admitted sheepishly. “Figured that one out the hard way.

Dad’s on nights this week, but he will be home later if you decide you’d like to stay here. Or if you don’t! You could just meet him, he’s pack-adjacent and knows about werewolfery.”

Derek raised his eyebrows at the last bit.

“I kept it secret for a long time, but no more! He was getting really worried about me, especially after the evil fox spirit incident.”

“And it’s better this way, because if something supernatural happens—not so much anymore!” Stiles squeaked, after Derek’s look. “It’s really safe here! Seriously! But if anything DOES happen, then he has someone he can call. Usually me, actually, now that I think about it, which isn’t that different than before. Huh.”

“But, uh, dinner?”

Derek looked at him questioningly.

“Well, it’s kinda late, and I don’t know about your kid, but mine starts gnawing table legs if I let her go too long without eating. It’s nothing fancy, just roasted chicken and potatoes, but you’re welcome to stay. I always make plenty; sometimes Boyd and Erica bring Sofie and Mattie over for a playdate.”

“That…would be nice,” Derek said, hesitantly. “As long as we wouldn’t be intruding.”

“No way, dude, you’re pack!”

“Don’t call me dude,” Derek said, absently.

“Da, comrade,” Stiles said, with a thick Russian accent.

Derek’s lips twitched, just a little.

Elizabeth tugged Evan’s arm meaningfully.

Stiles looked at her pensively, then glared at Evan, who was getting ready to speak over the other girl.

El had formed a fist of sorts, with her thumb between her index and middle fingers, and was waving it side to side, a little frantically. Stiles remembered that sign, after Evan had decided that Stiles was also going to learn ASL.

Stiles flailed. “Crap! Evan, take her to the bathroom please. I’m so sorry about that,” Stiles directed at Derek.

“Um.” Derek said, swaying in a strangely familiar way.

“There’s another one upstairs,” Stiles said knowingly. “Also, do you like salad?”

“What?” Derek said, sounding bewildered.

“Do you like salad? I do, and I buy it for my dad but he doesn’t always eat it so there’s always extra. Do you want some with dinner?”

“Uh, sure. I’m just gonna—“ He turned around and went upstairs.

Stiles pulled the salad fixings out of the fridge, then pulled his phone out and texted Laura.

 

SS: you never mentioned how quiet he was

LH: Derek’s just not as talkative as you.

LM: That wouldn’t be hard.

SS: HEY

LH: Do you think he’s going to stay with you?

SS: he hasn’t said

do you want me to nudge him towards the Pack House

LH: No, just let him know he can stay wherever, just have him send me a text so I know where he is.

SS: hey what was he doing in chi-town

LH: He hasn’t told you?

SS: no?

LH: Ask him. If he feels like talking about it, that would be good.

SS: *sighs* ok ALPHA

LH: Damn right

 

When Derek came back downstairs, Stiles was spinning the salad.

“I didn’t know what you liked in your salad, so there’s fixings—“ he indicated the counter “—and this is just greens. Also lots of dressing in the fridge, or I can do olive oil and vinegar, or—“

“DADDY, he gets it.” Evan interrupted. “Dunno why you old people like green stuff anyway. Gets in your teeth,” she said in an aside to Elizabeth, who had re-appeared. Elizabeth looked thoughtful.

“The potatoes will be done in about ten minutes,” Stiles said. “Evan, can you set the table? Elizabeth, you can help, if you’d like.”

Evan grabbed Elizabeth’s hand, and pulled her over to the cupboard with the placemats and things.

“Thank you for, well.” Derek waved his hand vaguely.

“It’s no problem, comrade.”

“Can I do anything?”

“How about drinks? There’s glasses in the cupboard above your head” Stiles indicated with his chin “and you can poke around in the pantry and the fridge. Mi padre’s casa es su casa. Just don’t drink the last of the beer and he won’t care.”

~

Stiles’ phone rang and rang.

Stiles stirred, and glared at the clock, which said that it was 02:04 in the morning.

“This had better be good,” Stiles growled into the phone.

“Stiles?” Derek said, sounding more than a little frightened.

“Whoa, big guy, what’s going on? Are you in danger? I can be there in 10 minutes. Maybe 7 if I speed,” Stiles said, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder, while also pulling on pants and searching for clean socks.

“No, we’re not in danger. It’s..it’s so stupid, but Elizabeth’s crying and won’t stop and I just…I have no idea what to do.” Derek’s voice trailed off, sounding lost.

Stiles abruptly remembered El’s crying jag in the airport, and wondered just how long Derek had been a dad before the flight. He wished Laura was in town, but it was her and Lydia’s anniversary, and they had flown to Paris for the week. He sighed, thinking furiously.

“I’ll bring Evan and some hot chocolate over, how’s that sound? Which hotel are you staying at?”

“No, please don’t, I just…”

“Comrade, you’re pack,” Stiles said smoothly. Something that sounded suspiciously like a strangled sob came from the other end of the phone. “I’ll be over in 10. Now which hotel?”

~

Stiles pulled into the hotel parking lot, glad of the convention he had attended the previous year which had made him familiar with it. He turned to look at Evan, half-asleep in the back of the car.

“Ok, let’s go over this one more time. You’re going to be…” He gave her a pointed look.

“Kind, but not nosy,” she recited. “Also give lots of hugs,” she added.

“Make sure you ask first,” Stiles admonished. He held up a hand, stopping Evan’s reply. “Even if she’s a werewolf, consent is always required.” He added, “And make absolutely sure you ask before hugging Derek.”

Evan sighed, but nodded. She always liked hugs, and couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting one, but she also listened to her Daddy.

“Now, what did you bring?”

She held up two of her favorite books, her second-favorite stuffed animal and a quilt that was from Erica’s brief sojourn into Making Things.

He countered with his famous Stilinski Hot Chocolate mix (from Costco, naturally) and a few of his trademark “Calm-n-Center” packs.

“I think we’re as ready as we’re gonna be, kiddo. Let’s go.”

~

Stiles knocked on room #324.

There was a pause, and the sound of the lock unlatching, before Stiles caught sight of Derek Hale again.

(Still as beautiful as ever, his inner Stiles sighed. You keep that to yourself, he told himself. He’s going through enough as it is, and who knows if he even likes you. Or boys!)

“I brought hot chocolate and bedtime stories.” Stiles grunted as his daughter elbowed him. “Also I found this child wandering around and thought you might know whom she belonged to,” he said with a grin.

“Can we come in?” he finished.

Derek started. “Uh, sure,” he said, gesturing them into the room.

“Hi El!” Evan said, smothering a yawn. “These are for you!” She handed over the things she had carried. “And daddy brought hot chocolate.” She looked back at her dad. “Do you want a hug?” El nodded, slowly. Evan grabbed her new best friend and held on tightly.

“And how are you doing, big guy? Want some hot chocolate?”

Derek looked back at Stiles, looking bewildered.

“I’ve got some magic to help, too,” he said in an undertone. “But before we resort to magic, let’s try the hot chocolate and stories thing. Sometimes it’s enough to get Sofie to sleep,” he finished.

“What, uh, what books did you bring?” Derek asked in an undertone. He looked stressed.

“Well, I have The Princess Who Loved the Moon and also another fairy tale that Evan likes.”

Derek started. “You have The Princess Who Loved the Moon?” he asked.

“Yeah! It’s one of Evan’s favorites, and I like it too.” Stiles grinned. “I like that it’s about a werewolf princess but isn’t just a story for little werewolves.”

“I, um—“ Derek began.

“Hot chocolate, Daddy! Please?” Evan interrupted, unwittingly.

“Yes, of course, hot chocolate coming right up.” Stiles grinned at Derek. “Do you want some?”

Derek seemed to consider this. Then, he nodded. “Yes, please,” he said.

“El, do you want hot chocolate?” Evan asked.

The other girl nodded solemnly, as if this was the most ridiculous question she had ever heard.

~

Mugs of hot chocolate in hand, Stiles pulled out The Princess Who Loved the Moon and settled down with Evan on one loveseat, and Derek and El on the other. They seemed to still be getting used to each other, and were near, but not touching. Stiles felt his heart hurt.

After the story was finished, Derek said, quietly, “You do the voices well.”

Stiles grinned, a little ruefully. “Thanks, I have a lot of practice. It was Evan’s ‘number one bestest best’ favorite for about three months after her birthday, and would NOT go to bed without it being read to her.”

“I, um, have something to tell you.”

“I am all for heart-to-hearts, dude—“ at Derek’s look, he amended, “—comrade, but let’s get the girls settled first, ok?”

Derek sighed.

“Ok, here’s where the magic begins,” Stiles said with a grin.

“Is it ok if Evan stays here tonight? I can pick her up in the morning,” he asked, turning to Derek.

Derek looked a little startled. “I guess? …you should probably stay, though,” he said, a little nervously.

“If you’re sure,” Stiles said, uncertainly.

“I’m…not really sure what to do with kids,” Derek confided in a hoarse voice.

“Then I’ll teach you,” Stiles said, easily.

“I mean, I’m no expert, and my dad would be the first to tell you that I was a nervous wreck when Evan first came into our lives. That was before I figured out that I didn’t have to do everything alone,” he said meaningfully.

“The pack is the only thing that kept me from losing my mind. That, and hot chocolate,” he said.

“Hot chocolate!” Evan cheered, sleepily, stifling a yawn halfway through.

“And moving back in with my dad–after wrestling with myself about it for about a month–really helped. My dad is usually on the opposite shift from me, and having a built-in babysitter who really wanted to babysit was just such a lifesaver.

“And living with my dad turned out to be the best for all of us,” he finished, looking fondly at Evan’s sleeping sprawl (one hand flung over the side of the bed, the other over her new best friend).

“Sounds…nice,” Derek said, wistfully.

“Even though it’s hella awkward trying to date,” Stiles said, a little absently, before turning an impressive shade of red. “Uh, I mean, not that I’m trying to–” Derek stared at him.

“Uh, yeah, so…” Stiles patted Derek’s arm awkwardly. “It’ll all be ok, you’ll see. You’re not alone in this.

“What did you want to tell me?” Stiles continued, as he pulled out two Calm-n-Center bags and removed the contents.

“I don’t want to distract you….” Derek started.

“As long as you’re not also going to do magic, it’ll be fine. I can do these practically in my sleep,” Stiles said ruefully. “Sometimes they’re the only thing that work for the new kids.”

“I’m an author,” Derek said.

“Oh yeah?” Stiles asked, distracted.

“Iwrotetheprincesswholovedthemoon,” Derek said in one big rush.

“No shit?” Stiles said. “I mean, seriously?” He corrected himself with a glance at Evan, who was still asleep, but with a small smile on her face. “I’m going to have to add to the swear jar when we get back,” he moaned.

“Yeah, I wrote that one. …and some others too,” Derek admitted.

“Anything for adults?” Stiles asked, fingers still drawing arcane symbols in the air above the sleeping girls.

“I’m not sure you would have read them.”

“I’ve read a lot, du–comrade, so you might be surprised.”

Derek was silent for a few moments, and Stiles looked up at him. He was flushed a dark red.

“Oh really?” Stiles said, mischievously. “Once Bitten, Twice Shy? Tall, Dark, and Hirsute? Once in a Blue Moon? One of those types?”

Derek growled.

“Hey, no worries big guy. I’ve heard there’s lots of money in that. And hey! You can write about what you know, and it’s basically just urban fantasy for most of the population. Smart,” he said, throwing a grin in Derek’s direction.

“Have you read any of them?” Derek asked.

“I might have? I’m not too good at remembering novels like that. Unless you wrote Runs In The Blood,” Stiles said absentmindedly. At the silence from the other man, Stiles said, “OMG, are you E. H. Vigoureux? OMG OMG OMG,” Stiles continued, flapping his hands excitedly.

“You liked that one?” Derek asked nervously.

“Oh man, just ask my friends, I’ve told all of them about it. AND bought copies for a few of them. My dad has threatened me with a shotgun if I talk about it more in the house,” Stiles confided with a grin.

“So the main character in Runs In The Blood, Theo, is gay…” Stiles started meaningfully.

Derek looked blank.

“Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but I knew from a young age that I liked women and men, uh, sexually, pretty much equally. Reading really helped me figure that out. Lydia says I fall in love with a person’s soul, but I have a feeling she’s quoting Laura, because Lydia is never that poetic.”

Derek was pointedly not looking at Stiles.

“Touchy subject?”

“I, uh… I also like both sexes,” Derek said quietly, still not looking at Stiles.

“Oh really?” Stiles said, encouragingly.

“I just broke up with my longtime boyfriend,” Derek confided.

“That sucks, … comrade.” Stiles said.

“You don’t have to keep editing yourself,” Derek said.

“Well, if someone says they don’t like something I’m doing, I try to change it,” Stiles said with a shrug.

“Do you call _everyone_ ‘dude’?” Derek asked.

“Yep. Except for Evan, but she’s got, like, a million other nicknames, so.”

“I think I’d like a nickname,” Derek said, wistfully.

“Laura calls you Der-bear behind your back,” Stiles said, grinning.

Derek blushed.

“What does El call you?” Stiles asked.

“We, uh, haven’t decided on what she’s going to call me,” Derek said, sadly.

“Is she yours?”

“YES,” Derek said, with a growl.

“I just mean, is she yours, biologically,” Stiles amended.

“Oh,” Derek subsided. “Well, no.

“Laura asked me to bring her when I came back from Chicago. It’s hard to place wolves that are a little different or have special needs, she said. And you know Laura,” Derek said, with a wry twist of his mouth.

“I do,” Stiles said, grinning. “I swear, California’s got some of the highest adoption rates in the country just because of her. And she keeps talking about presenting at the [Greater Pacific Northwest Alpha Symposium](https://archiveofourown.org/works/664623), about why and how wolf packs–especially small ones–should be helping kids in the foster system.”

Stiles stifled a yawn, and looked over at Derek.

“Uh, is it really ok if I stay here too? I don’t feel like I can be safe driving home right now, and I’ll have to come back anyway for Evan…”

Derek said, “Of course. I’ll take the couch.”

“Don’t be silly; the beds are plenty big enough. We can share. I promise to keep my hands to myself,” Stiles said with a leer.

They stayed up talking lazily about parenting: its challenges and joys.

~

In the morning, Stiles woke to find himself incredibly warm and feeling very secure. He blinked open his eyes to the sight of Derek Hale, aka Hottie McHotterson, draped over him.

“Uh, comrade?”

Derek jolted, as if electricity had sparked his tail.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you, I just–”

Derek blushed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

Stiles held up a hand. “I’m not saying ‘no, never, no way no how’, silly. I am saying ‘please let me up before my bladder explodes’”.

Derek looked confused for a split second, before hastily letting Stiles out of the bed.

~

“Breakfast?” Evan asked, looking expectantly at Stiles.

“I think I saw something about the hotel doing a free breakfast,” Stiles said.

“Or there’s a really good mom-and-pop diner nearby. They make the best curly fries,” he moaned.

Derek asked, “Is that Joelle’s? It’s still open?”

“Oh,” Stiles said with a laugh. “I keep forgetting you’re from around here! Yes, Joelle’s is the place I was talking about.

“How did we miss each other growing up?” Stiles wondered aloud.

“No idea,” Derek replied. “But I’m glad I ran into you at the airport,” he continued with a shy smile.

“Ugh, just kiss already,” Evan said, loudly. Elizabeth nodded vigorously.

“Well, what Evan wants, she gets,” Stiles said, dramatically. He cocked an eyebrow at Derek, who looked blindsided.

“Or not!” Stiles said, brightly. He started moving around the room, gathering his and Evan’s things. He tried not to feel too hurt by the brush off.

“Stiles,” Derek said, with a hand to his shoulder.

“Yes, comrade?” Stiles asked, turning to him.

Derek put a hand to Stiles’ cheek and brought their faces close together.

The kiss was sweet, and was accompanied by a chorus of gagging from the girls.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for LadyDrace for Yuletide two years ago. :D


End file.
